The Green Bay Packers have won three straight games, but their running game is still waiting to catch up. Now, Matt LaFleur believes the return of Josh Jacobs could help change that.
Green Bay defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-13 on Sunday night, improving to 4-2 despite gaining just 57 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Even against a Dallas defense that entered the game ranked last in the NFL against the run, the Packers struggled to move the ball on the ground.
Jacobs is eligible to return next week against the Detroit Lions, and LaFleur is optimistic about what the veteran could bring. He isn’t promising an immediate turnaround, though.
Matt LaFleur Addresses Josh Jacobs’ Return After Packers Win
After Sunday’s victory, LaFleur was asked whether Jacobs can help revive Green Bay’s struggling ground attack. His answer carried both optimism and a degree of caution.
“Time will tell. But I do have a lot of confidence that he can provide a spark,” LaFleur said, via The Leap’s Jason B. Hirschhorn.
And LaFleur made clear that Green Bay can’t keep settling for the same results on the ground.
“We’ve got to find a way to get this run game going, because it’s just too inconsistent. When you’re in second-and-long quite a bit when you’re running on first down,” LaFleur said, according to Hirschhorn.
The numbers from Dallas help explain his frustration. Averaging barely more than two yards per carry makes life difficult for an offense, even one that has found ways to win without its top running back.
Jacobs rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games last season after producing 1,329 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 2024. He also provides an experienced receiving option out of the backfield.
The Packers have been without him throughout 2026. Jacobs was placed on the NFL’s commissioner’s exempt list Aug. 30 amid a legal matter and is scheduled to come off the list Monday, Oct. 19. The league announced Friday that he’ll be eligible to play against Detroit on Oct. 25. Its personal conduct policy review remains ongoing.
Eligibility doesn’t guarantee he’ll be ready for a full workload after missing six games and being unable to practice while on the exempt list.
Packers Teammates Have High Expectations for Josh Jacobs
While LaFleur is waiting to see how much Jacobs changes the offense, some of his players are already looking ahead to what Green Bay could become with more of its stars available.
“It’s a different team now. Think they was scared of us then? We’ll see what happen when 8 get back and then 1 come back,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
Nixon was referring to Jacobs, who wears No. 8, and Micah Parsons, who wears No. 1. Parsons remains sidelined while recovering from a knee injury, with no confirmed return date.
Nixon’s confidence is understandable. The Packers are 4-2 without Jacobs, but the lack of reliable early-down gains has remained a concern even during their current winning streak.
The Packers’ passing game has done enough to keep them winning, but the imbalance has left LaFleur searching for answers. When first-down runs routinely leave Jordan Love facing long-yardage situations, even a productive passing attack has less margin for error.
Jacobs’ return won’t guarantee a fix. But the Packers could use more than occasional rushing success before facing Detroit, and LaFleur believes their veteran back is capable of providing it.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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